To further define the HLA-linked genes controlling the susceptibility to Ta
kayasu's arteritis, polymorphisms in five microsatellites around the HLA-B
and MICA genes, C1-2-A, MIB, C1-4-1, C1-2-5, and C1-3-1, were investigated
in 91 Japanese patients with Takayasu's arteritis and 248 healthy Japanese
controls. It was found that allele 238 of C1-2-A [60.4% in patients vs. 29.
8% in controls, odds ratio (OR) = 3.59, P-c < 0.000004], allele 332 of MIB
(22.0% vs. 6.1%, OR = 4.32, P-c < 0.0003), allele 208 of C1-2-5 (47.3% vs.
24.6%, OR = 2.75, P-c = 0.001), and allele 291 of C1-3-1 (62.6% vs. 44.8%,
OR = 2.07, P-c < 0.02) were significantly associated with the disease. Comb
ined analyses of polymorphisms in the HLA-B and MICA genes with those in th
e microsatellites suggest that there are two different disease-susceptible
loci for Takayasu's arteritis; one is mapped near the C1-2-A locus and the
other is more closely linked to the HLA-B gene than to the MICA gene, becau
se there are at least two different disease-associated HLA-B haplotypes, HL
A-B*52 and -B*39.2 haplotypes, in which the disease-associated C1-2-A allel
e is shared in common. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights re
served.